Friday, August 26, 2011

It had already been a decent day, with two Icterine Warblers and a supporting cast of 120 Willow Warblers and a Pied Flycatcher, when news came over the radio that another Hippolais warbler had been found, and it looked small. We quickly arrived at Plas Withy but had to wait about an hour until the bird finally showed well enough to allow confirmation that it was indeed the second Melodious Warbler of the autumn.

Having such good photos has allowed us to confirm our suspicions that this is indeed a different bird to that found at Nant a few days ago. On these views identification is straight forward with the long primary projection being roughly equal in length to the tertials. The silvery fringes to the secondaries form a distinctive panel but it should be noted that this is a first-year bird and a worn adult would have this panel much reduced. This bird frequently sat out in the open before dropping into the surrounding vegetation to grab an unsuspecting fly. The Icterine Warbler in Cristin Withy was retrapped and found to have put on four grams. (c) Richard Brown

The Melodious Warbler was also busy feeding, here taking an earwig. The Melodious basically replaces the Icterine as the yellowish breeding Hippolais in SW Europe. But identification on brief views can be tricky with the smaller size not always easy to judge (the wings of Icterines normally come in at between 73 and 82mm, those of Melodious between 62 and 71mm). Here the shorter primary projection is an obvious clue. Having both species on the island together has allowed us to get our eye in for leg colour and it has to be said there is very little difference between the two! (c) Richard Brown

Thursday, August 25, 2011

It's been a bit longer than usual since our last post as we were far too busy each night of the Birdfair drinking and watching over 400 Common Pipistrelle bats flying around the beer garden. We returned to Bardsey two days ago to news that not one, but two Icterine Warblers were on the island, one of which had already been trapped and ringed in Cristin Withy. We set out on yesterday's census hoping to bump into at least one of these cracking Hippo's, and we did, only it wasn't one of the two already described as it lacked a ring and the amount of yellow on the underparts was clearly different to a bird seen two days previous at Nant! We then saw the ringed bird in Cristin Withy following a sighting of two probable Ickies in this one stand of Willows. So the actual number of Icterine Warblers currently on Bardsey is far from clear, on the 23rd it was definitely three, but over the last three days it is possible that FOUR birds have been sighted! Elsewhere the number of migrants has been poor, although the blustery wind and occasional torrential rain which has hampered the Icky survey is not helping the search. Indeed the bad weather overnight led to the demise of a Knot which struck the lighthouse in heavy rain. The fact that the only other attracted birds were two fledgling Manx Shearwaters suggests how few birds are currently moving.

Five Sanderling joined 43 Turnstone, five Dunlin, 12 Redshank, a Common Sandpiper, six Whimbrel and a Knot on Solfach today. This photo provides a good comparison of the different plumages to be expected at this time of year. The central bird, a juvenile, is nice and fresh with black feather centers and white fringes giving a neatly spangled look to the upperparts. The remaining three birds, all adults, currently retain a lot of this summer's breeding finery although now in a very worn state. A few very fresh pale grey feathers are a sign that the moult into winter plumage has commenced. (c) Richard Brown

With the Sanderling proving so approachable it seemed that we may be able to gently walk the flock along the tideline and into a spring-trap or two. This worked almost immediately and we trapped this smart juvenile. (c) Richard Brown and Giselle Eagle

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

We had a fantastic day yesterday relaxing on the Northumberland coast before staying with friends in Washington. If we'd stayed close to Rich's folks it may well have been Nosterfield that we chose for some local birding. Which is where the belting adult White-winged Tern chose to rock up in our absence. Luckily it's lingered so we could call in on our way home. We were treated to a fantastic show as it fed around Lingham Lake before dropping in to rest on its favoured raft. The Crane was still there and a few waders included Ruff, Common Sandpiper and Little Ringed Plover.

The moulting adult White-winged Tern. On the deck the crown is already too white for Black Tern and the longer red legs and dark secondaries were distinctive. In flight there were still obvious black underwing coverts and a white rump remaining, although the white forewing has attained a more wintery appearance. (c) Richard Brown

Sunday, August 14, 2011

It's not long until the Birdfair now, so we decided to pick up a few essentials in town. It was a successful mission, but we were distracted by the news that the Wilson's Phalarope was still showing, a mere 15 minutes from where we were. We made a well deserved excursion to Greenabella Marsh. Whilst the bird was still distant, it was in a much better position and the sun was still fairly high in the sky. We spent the best part of an hour watching this magnificent wader feeding along the edge of the marsh.

This awesome winter-plumaged adult was still distant, but its features were fantastically defined in the afternoon sun. (c) Richard Brown

Watching the Wilson's Phalarope feed was text book! It walked around the grassy edges snapping at insects with a classic pivoted body before returning to the marsh where it stealthily swam low in the water, stalking its prey to within milimeters before a quick dart forward with its long, elegant bill. It appeared that there was plenty food in the marsh for it this afternoon, so it may well stick around a few days longer. (c) Richard Brown

Saturday, August 13, 2011

The Bonaparte's Gull in and around Seaburn has been present since the 5th. Although very mobile, there are only two dates up until today when it hasn't been recorded, namely the 9th and the 12th, or in other words the two days we went to try to see the moulting adult but failed. Furthermore we left Chris's house on Hartlepool Headland the day before he trapped an Icterine Warbler and a rather skulking Melodious Warbler showed briefly back on Bardsey. It's fair to say our birding has hit a rough patch and when, ten minutes after hearing about the Wilson's Phalarope at Greatham Creek and setting off north, further news broke that it had flown east and out of view, we were beginning to suspect we had somehow upset the birding Gods. Rich was considering turning back but we ploughed on. Upon arriving at Greatham Creek there were a few birders on the bridge, but we'd heard rumours that it had been viewed from a hide down the road. A quick phone call to Toby, the Phalarope's discoverer, revealed it had probably been found again. We pegged it down the track at the same time that the Phalarope, which had been sat on the shingle, decided to fly towards where we'd just set off from. Luckily, it followed a Redshank back to the shingle and we got distant but good views of it feeding and preening. We watched this stunning wader until the local constabulary moved us on because we had inadvertently threatened national security by walking with 'pipes' out towards the industry. Two coppers did use our scope to add Wilson's to their lifelists before sending us on our way though.

Distant views of the adult Wilson's Phalarope. Alexander Wilson was born in Scotland, the son of an illiterate distiller, but moved to America to find employment as a schoolteacher. He developed an interest in ornithology and decided to publish a book illustrating the birds of North America. From 1808 until 1814 he published the nine-volume 'American Ornithology' which depicted 268 species of birds, 26 of which were new to science. Wilson's Storm-petrel, Wilson's Plover and Wilson's Warbler all commemorate his name. (c) Richard Brown

Thursday, August 11, 2011

We've spent the last few nights with the Tees Ringing Group using single-panel nets at Seal Sands. Nine Dunlin were trapped but we were concentrating on tape-luring Terns and we did this well with 24 Common Terns (including six already with rings), two Arctic Terns and six Sandwich Terns (one already with ring). Only a couple of sheltered nets could be opened during the day but we did manage to trap a few Reed Warblers, Whitethroats and a Sedge Warbler. Oh, and a species we've never trapped before!

Neither of us had ever handled Sandwich Terns before so this was a real pleasure, especially as we trapped both adult and juvenile birds. Sandwich Terns were first described in 1787 by John Latham when he gave them the name Sterna sandvicensis, the species name referring to Sandwich in Kent where the type specimen came from. The same species name is shared by several other birds including the Nene Goose. But these were not described from specimens taken in Kent but rather the Sandwich Islands (more commonly known as Hawaii!). (c) Richard Brown

Common Terns were the commoner of the Terns we trapped. They were described less than 30 years before the Sandwich Tern by Linnaeus in 1758 for his catchy entitled 'Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis' or 'System of nature through the three kingdoms of nature, according to classes, orders, genera and species, with characters, differences, synonyms, places'. He picked the species name S. hirundo in reference to the Swallow-like nature of this species. (c) Richard Brown

These two juvenile Arctic Terns illustrate well how variable first-years of this species can look. The upper bird is probably a bit younger as it still has a pale base to the bill, something which soon darkens as can be seen below. The coverts and scapulars of the lower bird did not look worn but clearly the well scalloped appearance had faded, or perhaps the lower bird had never been as well marked. (c) Richard Brown

Looking out over Seal Sands towards the heavy industry. It was fantastic wading out waist deep in the mouth of the Tees to extract the Terns from the mist nets. We didn't see Peg Powler once, the legendary hag with green skin, long hair and sharp teeth who is said to inhabit the Tees. She apparently grabs people's ankles and takes them to a watery grave! (c) Richard Brown

A massive surprise at Hargreaves Quarry was this Budgerigar in the top shelf of one of the nets. Apparently budgery is Australian slang for 'good'. He is a he based on the colour of the cere which would be brown in a female. (c) Richard Brown

Monday, August 8, 2011

It was inevitable that an August holiday would lead to us missing a few birds on Bardsey, and we have, with a fall of roughly 1000 Willow Warblers and a scattering of common migrants keeping the remaining staff busy. No doubt the first rare of the autumn is just around the corner. So to console ourselves we decided to try and see some decent birds this holiday, preferably things we haven't seen much (or anything of) in four years on Bardsey. A normal season on Bardsey sees about 21 species of wader recorded, including wintery species such as Woodcock and Jack Snipe. We've seen 31 species in the last two weeks.

Despite the fact that Pectoral Sandpipers are our commonest visitor from America, there have only been four records on Bardsey with two on the 15th September 1960, one on the 11th September 1975, one on the 2nd October 1982 and one on the 22nd September 1987. There have been about seven confirmed British sightings this August including this bird at Cley. (c) Richard Brown

We've seen some pretty scarce and stunning waders, but our favourites were a species which breeds in the UK. They look superficially like mini bustards which led to them being classified as such, but we now know them to be waders which have evolved to fill a similar ecological niche as bustards, specialising in arid habitats. Our Stone-curlew is therefore slightly unusual as far as thick-knees go in that the arid place they've selected in Suffolk is far from dry in the winter. The way they've evolved to cope with this is to migrate to other arid regions further south for our winter. This is unusual in other members of this family which are generally sedentary. We saw 23 at Weeting Heath but they were generally quite subdued, as might be expected from a species which is mainly nocturnal. (c) Richard Brown

Thursday, August 4, 2011

The Corncrake singing below the Obs has now stopped. But the amazing sounds are still fresh in our memories and still they sound very different to the singing Corncrakes we are used to. Steve Westerberg and Tina Wiffen also heard the bird and were puzzled by the sounds. Below is a recording of the song made by Tina.

So why does this bird sound so unlike a singing male? Well it seems that it's because it's a female! See http://www.xeno-canto.org/europe/XCspeciesprofiles.php?species_nr2=542.10 for three recordings of singing females! Apparently Corncrake females will sing to advertise for a male if they have not paired. Recordings of female song are quite rare. (c) Tina Wiffen

Our summer wader-fest holiday continued just down the road at Nosterfield LNR with cracking views of this juvenile Wood Sandpiper. At one point it was in the same scope view as a Green Sandpiper, a Common Sandpiper and a Greenshank. Elsewhere Little Ringed Plovers and a Common Crane were additions to our year list (they don't turn up on Bardsey too often). Wood Sands breed way up north in boggy taiga, usually on the ground but sometimes up in trees (a habit more typical of Green Sandpipers which use old thrush nests in trees!). (c) Richard Brown

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

We've had a busy couple of days with family and friends but still had time to make a 7am visit to Saltholme to get a better look at the Semipalmated Sandpiper and Temminck's Stint in better light and with the 60x eyepiece on the scope. It was Sod's law that the birds flew to the far bank just after our arrival so the extra magnification just gave similar views as yesterday.

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About Us

Rich is the Assistant Warden at Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory. He has lived on remote Welsh Islands for the past seven years. He's spot on with all things avian; a brilliant birder, fantastic ringer and a patient photographer. He's my boyfriend and I share his way of life with him.
Giselle was recently a RSPB Little Tern Warden. She is a fully qualified bat survey worker, a ringer with a C permit, a birder with self found Grotfinch and R B Fly to her name, and my beautiful girlfriend.
Together we live beneath Bardsey Lighthouse and monitor the wildlife of the island.

A few things that will make this blog make more sense:

What is a Lighthouse attraction?

It is perhaps surprising how many bird species move nocturnally. Huge numbers of waders, thrushes and warblers are joined by birds such as shearwaters, petrels, rails, terns, larks and starlings. The majority are relying in a large part on the visible night sky to aid navigation and on light, particularly from the moon, illuminating the landscape. If bad weather descends whilst they are on the move they use other features to orientate themselves. The beams of Bardsey Lighthouse, which officially reach up to 43km out to sea, are particularly attractive if other navigational cues are absent. Up to 31,573 birds have descended upon the Lighthouse in a single night. Sadly some of these birds fatally collide with the light, typically Manx Shearwaters and thrushes, but also species such as Thrush Nightingale and Red-eyed Vireo. We are based at the light to monitor these attractions, help to direct birds away from the tower using gantry lights and catch grounded birds to stop them again flying at the light. The lighthouse plays an important role in shipping.

A bit about Bardsey’s migrant birds

Bardsey has played host to the first Summer Tanager and Yellow Warbler to be recorded in Britain or Ireland. Additionally American Bittern, Sora, Black-winged Stilt, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Penduline Tit, Lanceolated Warbler, River Warbler, Booted Warbler, Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Grey-cheeked Thrush, Eyebrowed Thrush, American Robin, Thrush Nightingale, Red-flanked Bluetail, Isabelline Wheatear, Black-eared Wheatear, Collared Flycatcher, Blyth’s Pipit, Olive-backed Pipit, Song Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Pine Bunting, Rock Bunting, Yellow-breasted Bunting and Blackpoll Warbler have all been recorded. Rich has found the second Paddyfield Warbler and White-throated Sparrow for Wales (the first White-throated Sparrow was also on Bardsey), along with good Welsh birds such as Short-toed Lark, Icterine Warbler and Pallas’s Warbler. In recent years we’ve had Glossy Ibis, Black Kite, Woodchat Shrike, Greenish Warbler, Western Bonelli’s Warbler and Ortolan Bunting and species such as Melodious Warbler and Subalpine Warbler are more than annual (the eastern race of Subalp is a particular Bardsey speciality).

A bit about bird ringing

Ringing is a method which has been used for over 100 years to study birds. It has proven very successful because the individually numbered rings make no difference to the behaviour of the birds. Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory has been ringing since 1953. A mass of information has been gathered relating to many aspects of avian biology including movements, physiology and longevity, all of which help us to understand and conserve birds. Some of the multitude of interesting Bardsey records include:

On the 8th May 2008 we retrapped the Manx Shearwater FB10565. It had first been ringed as an adult on the 17th May 1957, 50 years 11 months and 9 days previously. This is the oldest known wild bird in Britain.

Bardsey has also hosted the oldest Razorbill, at 41 years 11 months 23 days, the oldest Wren, at 7 years 3 months 10 days and the oldest Chough, at 16 years 8 months 26 days.

We get many records each year of birds ringed elsewhere arriving on Bardsey or of our birds turning up. Recently Manx Shearwaters have been recorded in South America within a few weeks of departing their burrows, our other seabirds have reached various colonies elsewhere in the UK and Europe and our Lesser and Greater Black-backed Gulls have been recorded in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Waders such as Whimbrel and Sanderling have passed through from the Arctic and Iceland. Migrant passerines include Sedge Warbler and Chiffchaff to Senegal and a Starling from Lithuania.

Movements are often rapid with several hundred kilometres being covered in a few days. Just in the last few years a Reed Warbler arrived from Belgium in 17 days, a Willow Warbler reached Lands End in four days, a Song Thrush reached Spain in 56 days and a Blue Tit reached Cape Clear in 19 days.

The Lighthouse As mentioned, this is where we live to monitor birds attracted to the light. Anything is possible and sometimes masses of birds descend on the area. Rarities at the light have included Thrush Nightingale, River Warbler, Grey-cheeked Thrush and Red-eyed Vireo. We’ve seen two hundred Grasshopper Warblers here and a Little Egret hovering above our heads.

The South End Seas of Thrift and not much in the way of cover mean that this is a specialist habitat. We’ve seen Short-toed Lark, Dotterel and Quail on the deck but it’s the overhead vis mig which is best as birds funnel to the tip to cross the Irish Sea. The few patches of Gorse hide grounded migrants, many of which will have been attracted to the light.

The Narrows The narrowest part of Bardsey and home to Solfach and Henllwyn, a small sandy beach and a larger rocky bay. The best place to look for waders and where any storm-blown seabirds rest. Also another vis mig funnel. Recent highlights have included Baird’s Sandpiper, Avocet, Sabine’s, Glaucous and Iceland Gulls and Hoopoe.

The Badlands Named by ME and full of possibilities. Wellies are often a must as we tramp for Jack Snipe, Snipe, Woodcock and Short-eared Owls through rushes and bog. Patches of Gorse provide breeding habitat for Linnets and Stonechats.

The Withiesand the Green Lane Five main patches of predominantly Willow and Reed linked by hedge-lines, they have a very impressive list. Recent highlights have included Rich’s Paddyfield Warbler along with multiple Icterine and Melodious Warblers. Historical highlights have included American Bittern, Sora, Summer Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Arctic Warbler, Aquatic Warbler and Penduline Tit.

The Gardens Away from the Obs there are 11 mature gardens which all need grilling in search of grounded migrants. Anything could occur, from a Red-flanked Bluetail at Ty Nesaf to a Wryneck at Carreg Bach.

The Observatory A mature garden of Damson and Gorse and our main ringing site. Subalpine Warbler and the commoner Hippos are annual and usually trapped. This is the place in the UK where Subalpine Warblers are known to have progressed furthest in a breeding attempt. Seawatching from the terrace is a real possibility and the kettle is never far away.

The Plantation A belt of older conifers are flanked to the North by a new plantation of scrubby natives. The sheltered side is often the favoured haunt of Flycatchers, including Gis’ R-b Fly in 2011, and the main plantation contains the bulk of our migrants in a good fall when hundreds of Phylloscs and crests can litter the branches and floor. The nearby withy and hillside have harboured some stunning birds, recently including White-throated Sparrow, multiple Barred and Pallas’s Warblers, Western Bonelli’s Warbler, Common Rosefinch, Corncrakes and Greenish Warbler.

The West Coast Perhaps under-covered as the Withies lure birders inland. This is a beautiful stretch of coves and short grass home to Choughs, Wheatears, Rock Pipits and Oystercatchers.

The North West Fields Not just a great area of maritime heath, a lure to scarcer buntings and pipits, but also home to the best seawatching hide on the island. This is where seabirds pass closest and in a good Northwesterly the views and diversity can be belting. The scarcer passage seabirds such as Long-tailed Skua, Sabine’s Gull, Grey Phalarope and Leach’s Petrel are regular at the right times.

The Mountain Often under-covered as it leads the birder away from some other cracking areas, however the mountain is the place to pick up Snow Bunting and is the main fly way for passage raptors which go through rapidly. We’ve recently seen Hobby, Ospreys and several Marsh Harriers as they go through.

Anywhere Else There could be an Ortolan Bunting in the track or a group of Crossbills drinking at a puddle. Anything could pass over with Black Kite, Glossy Ibis and Richard’s Pipits all recorded overhead in the last couple of years.

A bit about Bardsey’s breeding birds

Manx Shearwater There are somewhere between 9000 and 16000 pairs on Bardsey. They usually arrive back in mid March, established pairs returning to the same burrow as in the previous year. After mating the female nips off to form the egg, perhaps to Biscay, whilst the male defends the burrow from other prospecting pairs. They then take turns incubating the single egg for around 52 days and then provision the downy chick for a further 70 days or so. Productivity is usually between 0.70 and 0.88 (2002-2011 average 0.77±s.e.0.02) and was 0.73 in 2011. To avoid predatory birds the Shearwaters only come and go when it’s really dark.

Storm-petrel This is a difficult species to monitor as the colonies are restricted to the treacherous East Side. The birds only return at night meaning that to count apparently occupied crevices during the day is the best way to assess numbers. This is done using a tape-playback of their song to elicit responses from incubating adults. Due to the amount of work involved we don’t count them every year, but in 2002 there were thought to be approximately 35 pairs. Their distinctive smell alerts us to their continued presence each year when we are working in the Razorbill colonies. To see them on Bardsey you need to be present for one of our summer ringing sessions.

Peregrine Two pairs have bred on Bardsey for the past six years. The pairs have mated for life and selected breeding territories which they remain faithful to each year, although they move their nests from one treacherous cliff edge to another from year to year. We use ropes to access the nests and monitor productivity. Productivity in 2011 was 2.5 chicks per pair. The chicks fledged roughly 45 days after hatching and remained dependant on their parents for food for a couple of months.

Oystercatcher One of our most conspicuous breeders with most of the accessible coastline holding alarming pairs during the breeding season. They are by far the most abundant breeding wader with 85 pairs on territory in 2011, nine fewer than in 2010, but 6.4% more than the 2002-2011 mean (79.90±s.d.12.13). In 2011 52 nests were located. They contained 141 eggs or a mean clutch size of 2.71. Of the 52 monitored nests, 31 failed at the egg/small chick stage, nine failed with chicks and 12 were successful. Predatory gulls and corvids account for many of the failures. A total of 14 chicks fledged from the successful 12, which gives a productivity figure of 0.27 chicks per pair, 25% down on 2010 and 65.4% lower than the 2002-2011 mean (0.78±s.e.0.20).

Ringed Plover In 2011 breeding occurred for the second time since 2003 following two pairs that successfully fledged seven young in 2010. A clutch of three eggs near Solfach on 28 April were covered with a chicken-wire cage to protect them from sheep and predatory birds whilst leaving just enough room for the adults to slip underneath to incubate. This worked well last year and again proved fruitful with all three newly-hatched young ringed in the nest on 22 May. A week after all three young had fledged a further four eggs were discovered in the same covered nest on 28 June. Three newly hatched chicks were ringed on 19 July with the fourth egg failing to hatch. All three had fledged by 20 August. A productivity figure of 6.00 was the highest recorded on Bardsey.

Guillemot This species famously defends the smallest territory of any bird. They have many adaptations for living close together. They recognise their neighbours, which they will tolerate at close proximity, and they have eggs with very diverse patterning so they can recognise which one is theirs. The eggs are extremely conical so they role in a very tight circle. In 2011 981 adults on ledges were recorded, a figure almost identical to 2010, 24.7% more than the 2002-2011 mean (787.00±s.d.156.67) and 116.6% more than the long-term mean (453±s.d.225). Productivity was 0.30 fledging sized chicks per pair.

Razorbill This is the largest auk in the world and one of the commonest seabirds on the East of the Island. The pairs mate for life but will not breed until about five years of age. They’ll mate about 80 times at the start of the breeding period to ensure fertilisation and then incubate the egg for roughly 35 days. The incubating birds are hidden away in crevices and caves which makes counting them difficult. Over 1500 adults were counted around the colonies in 2011. The chick only stays ashore for about 20 days before swimming out to sea with the male. The sea is a safer place to be with so many predatory gulls around.

Little Owl This diminutive owl was introduced to the UK in the 19th century. On Bardsey a minimum of three territories were recorded in 2011. A pair nested in a field boundary to the South of Carreg Bach where two chicks were ringed on 5 June. Both had fledged by 28 June. Additional pairs were to the South of Cristin and near Rhedynog Goch, but neither was proven to breed. Pellet analysis has shown that invertebrates and small birds make up the bulk of the diet although we have not recorded the predation of Storm Petrels seen on other Welsh islands.

Skylark In 2011, three pairs established territories, one in the North West Fields, one East of Nant Valley and one in the West Coast Fields. The West Coast pair produced five eggs, all of which hatched. The five pulli were ringed on 18 May, 18 days earlier than they were ringed in 2010. All fledged in early June. A second brood was suspected but no fledglings were recorded. The Nant Valley pair had fledged at least one chick by 29 May. The North West Fields pair was present throughout the breeding season but no fledglings were observed. This is the best showing since 2005 and the most fledged young recorded since the recolonisation in 2003.

Swallow Nationally this species has undergone a long-term decline in the UK but numbers fluctuate widely. On Bardsey in 2011 the number of breeding pairs was 21, 56.7% more than the 2002-2011 average (13.40±s.d.4.58), and the most ever recorded (equal with 2008). A total of 106 birds fledged from 31 broods, the most fledglings ever observed. Productivity was thus 44.3% up on last year and 6.8% above the 2002-2011 mean (4.73±s.e.0.48). Disappointingly at least nine juveniles were found dead within a short period after fledging. Climatic changes in the African wintering grounds mean that birds are returning to Britain in poorer condition and laying fewer eggs than previously recorded.

Chough This is another species which shows strong mate and site fidelity.A record eight pairs attempted to breed in 2011 with a ninth pair prospecting suitable sites but not attempting. Disappointingly two pairs nesting on Mynydd Enlli failed. Of the remaining pairs, one fledged four, one fledged three, three fledged two and one fledged a singleton. The resulting productivity figure of 1.75 was the second lowest on record, 31.6% up on the record low of 2010 but 34.5% lower than the 2002-2011 mean (2.67±s.e.0.29). Ten young were colour ringed in 2011.